Ulrich
A masculine name of German origin meaning "wolf power" or "noble heritage".
Name Census estimates that about 373 living Americans carry the first name Ulrich. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ulrich today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ulrich births was 2015 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ulrich. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
373
~ 1 in 918,912 Americans
Peak year
2015
16 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,792
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Ulrich: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ulrich from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 115 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ulrich remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ulrich by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ulrich during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ulrich
The name Ulrich originated from the Germanic languages, derived from the Old High German name Uolrich. It is composed of two elements - "uola" meaning wealth or prosperity, and "ric" meaning power or rule. Thus, the name Ulrich can be interpreted as "prosperous ruler" or "wealthy leader".
The name first appeared in the 7th century AD and was popular among the Germanic tribes, particularly in areas that are now parts of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Variations of the name include Ulric, Ulderic, and Hulrich.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ulrich can be found in the 9th century Latin chronicle "Vita Sancti Oudalrici" (Life of Saint Ulrich), which details the life of Saint Ulrich of Augsburg, a Benedictine monk and bishop who lived from 890 to 973 AD.
In the 11th century, Ulrich von Zell was a renowned German Benedictine monk and historian who wrote the "Chronicon Monasterii Sancti Galli" (Chronicle of the Monastery of St. Gall). He lived from around 1020 to 1093 AD.
During the 12th century, Ulrich von Hutten was a German scholar, poet, and prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation. He was born in 1488 and died in 1523.
In the 13th century, Ulrich von Liechtenstein was a renowned Minnesinger (a poet and singer of courtly love lyrics) and knight from the Holy Roman Empire. He lived from around 1200 to 1275 AD.
In the 14th century, Ulrich von Richental was a Swiss chronicler and author of the "Chronik des Konstanzer Konzils" (Chronicle of the Council of Constance), which documented the Council of Constance held from 1414 to 1418. He lived from around 1360 to 1437 AD.
The name Ulrich has been associated with several notable figures throughout history, reflecting its Germanic roots and its popularity across various regions of Europe.
People
Ulrich + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ulrich as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ulrich: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ulrich?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 373 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ulrich going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 918,912 US residents.
Is Ulrich a common name?
We classify Ulrich as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 481 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ulrich most popular?
The single biggest year for Ulrich was 2015, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ulrich is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ulrich a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ulrich in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.